NINTH ANNUAL REPORT. 181 



The box was left in the cage for a week, until the snake became 

 thoroughly familiar with it. An opportunity was then awaited 

 of finding the snake prowling about the cage, when the box was 

 taken out, and placed in the center of a room about twelve feet 

 square. The Cobra was then taken from its cage, dropped into a 

 bag, and carried to the room, where it was placed on the floor 

 about six feet from the box. For a moment it dilated its hood, 

 and assumed a fighting posture, but as usual with cobras trans- 

 ported to strange surroundings, dropped to the floor and began 

 gliding about to discover an avenue of escape. The box was 

 moved slightly, to attract the snake's attention to it, and the result 

 awaited. It will be remembered that the box opened at the top, 

 with a sliding lid ; and as the snake observed it on the floor, it 

 presented no means of entrance or shelter. 



Upon the slight movement of the box, the reptile changed its 

 course and made directly for it. A bright-colored cloth was 

 waved in its path, at which it rose and struck viciously. Promptly 

 continuing its course toward the box, it reached it, raised its head 

 and neck over the top, and in the manner characteristic of the 

 eccentric Asp, literally flung itself into the receptacle. 



This test was convincing, but to prove whether it might not 

 have been an accidental wandering of the snake, it was repeated. 

 For fully a dozen successive times, the same occurrence was 

 observed. It demonstrated that the reptile recognized and appre- 

 ciated its hiding place, although the box possessed no openings on 

 the sides, and could be entered only through the top. 



This same experiment was tried with a Chicken Snake (Colu- 

 ber quadrk'ittatns) : an Indigo Snake {Spilotcs corais couperi) ; 

 a King Snake (Opliibolns gctitlus), and a Water Snake (Tropi- 

 donotns fasciatus). All these serpents persistently sought shelter 

 in the box, so long as it remained within their cage ; but when 

 annoved, as was the Cobra, they dashed stupidly about the room, 

 rooting into dark corners and endeavoring to escape, but never 

 succeeding in finding the real hiding-place, even though they fre- 

 quently passed in close proximity to it. 



Experiment No. 2: Cobra-de-Capello (N. tripitdiaus). — This 

 test emanated from the actions of a large Cobra that was regu- 

 larlv taken from its cage for the treatment of an abscess.* With 

 a bamboo stick. Keeper Snyder removed the snake from its cage, 

 and placed the reptile upon the floor, where he pinned its head 

 down firmly by holding the stick across it. Afterward the ser- 



*The lesion was entirely cured after treatment lasting ihn .■ m.mtli-. .hiring 

 which time the reptile was daily taken from the cage. 



